1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to devices that cover wheels while a tire mounted on the wheel is being treated with a chemical solution. More particularly, it relates to a device that adjusts to many different sizes yet which has an elegant structural simplicity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
If left unprotected, tire sidewalls can crack or harden when exposed to ultraviolet radiation and other natural phenomenon. To prolong the lifetime of tire sidewalls, chemists have developed a number of protective coatings that block or inhibit penetration of ultraviolet rays, that inhibit or delay cracking and hardening of the sidewalls, and that generally prolong the aesthetic appearance of the tire sidewalls. Depending upon the characteristics of the protectant, the chemical may be applied by spraying or with a cloth, sponge, and the like.
Regardless of the application method selected, the wheel upon which the tire is mounted should be protected from the chemical being applied to the sidewalls so that the chemical is applied only to the sidewalls and not to the wheel rim or hubcap. Over the years, inventors have developed a number of differing wheel protectors. All of them are believed to perform their intended function, but the art still has not reached its highest pinnacle of development.
For example, one of the best solutions to the wheelmasking problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,191 to Farmer. A circular disc is formed into a cone; the cone is held at its apex and its annular rim is disposed into covering relation to the wheel upon which a tire is mounted. Advantageously, the diameter of the annular rim may be varied by changing the position of tab members which are inserted into slots. This allows the device to be used to protect or mask wheels of differing diameters.
There are still a few drawbacks with the cone design, however. First of all, the diameter of the cone is not infinitely variable; thus, a particular wheel diameter might be somewhere between two tab and slot settings. Secondly, the depth of the cone may be insufficient to receive protrusions from some hubcaps. Thirdly, the cone requires a substantial amount of material. Moreover, the cone is highly resilient so that it quickly returns to its flat configuration if a tab slips out of a slot.
Thus, there is a need for a wheel shield having an infinitely variable radius so that it can be used to mask wheels of all diameters. There is a further need for a wheel shield that can accommodate any hubcap protrusions. Moreover, there is a need for a wheel shield that requires less material than a cone-shaped shield, and there is a need for a shield that is not subject to failure in the event of slippage.
However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in this art how the needed improvements could be provided.